TWO Greenpeace activists scaled Nelson's Column today to attach a gas mask to the famous statue to highlight air pollution in Britain.

The activists began climbing the 171ft central London landmark at 4am on Monday

The activists, named as Alison Garrigan, 29, and Luke Jones, 30, began climbing the 171ft central London landmark at 4am on Monday as part of a morning of stunts in protest at "dangerous" air quality levels.

Other environmental activists attached gas masks to other statues across the capital, including those of Oliver Cromwell and Winston Churchill outside Parliament.

In total 17 other statues were masked, including Queen Victoria opposite Buckingham Palace, Eros at Piccadilly Circus and Thierry Henry outside Arsenal FC's Emirates Stadium in north London.